Silver and Gold
by DrunkManSquakin
Summary: Summary and warnings would not fit. They are posted with the prologue. NarutoXJean is the main pairing. MINOR Bleach cross. Rated M for MANY REASONS! All else is explained inside. TO BE REWRITTEN!
1. Summary, Prologue, and Other Crap!

Summary, Disclaimer, Warnings, and Prologue

**Pieta, the city of the Northern Border… It was here that a legion of monsters known as the Awakened approached. Their intent was unknown, but one thing was certain; they must not pass. The only problem was that twenty-four warriors simply didn't make the cut… but that was in the past. The problem at hand was… well, what the **_**hell**_** happened! Jean did not know. She was **_**sure**_** she had died! She… **_**had**_** died, right? Well, if she did, then how and why was she here? In fact… where exactly was 'here'? Who was that blonde boy? Why was he treated so badly? Why did he have a ****Yoki signature? Wait… why the hell was **_**she**_** the same age as him! He's five! All in all, Jean, the Organization's Warrior Number Nine had a lot on her plate… and now, the most important question was this: can she really cope with all of these changes?**

**

* * *

**

**Disclaimer:**

**I will say this once. I do not own the anime, manga, artwork, characters, or anything other elements associated with the fictional stories known as "Naruto", "Claymore", and "Bleach". The individuals who do are Masashi Kishimoto, Yagi Norihiro, and Tite Kubo, respectively.**

**This story is completely fan-based, and is not, in any way, for the sake or hope of profitable compensation.**

* * *

**Content Warnings:**

**I will say this once. This Fanfiction is rated Mature due to the following content: Extensive Violence, Descriptive Gore and Dismemberment, Descriptive Sexual Content (Heterosexual and Lesbian (Yuri)), Crude Humor, and Common Use of Vulgar Language.**

**(Said profanity will probably include, but not likely be limited to the words "bastard", "bitch", "fuck", "ass", "shit", "hell", and most, if not all, of their variants. These words, though, will be the most common and will doubtlessly be used by Character and Author, alike.)**

**All this said, you **have** been given fair warning, and will not be warned again of such content, when it is to occur, due to its bad tendency to distract the reader. In accordance to the rules of the sight, however, said content will not exceed the given limitations of the Mature Rating.**

**Special Warnings:**

**I will say this once. The Warnings for this Fanfiction that are unassociated with the Mature rating include the following; Characters that are "Out of Character" (or "OOC"), an Alternate Universe plotline (otherwise referred to as "AU"), the containment of Original Characters (or "OCs"), and the Altercation of Characters to My Design (including but not limited to appearance and, in some cases, even gender).**

**(The original Characters however will vary from foreign townsfolk to various people with mild-to-moderate roles. The most significant of these Characters will be named Aburame Shiroari (Shino's older sister) and Morihana Kiku (a Kirigakure Hunter-Class Kunoichi and, eventually, diplomat). These two, however will not, in any way, be over-powered, stereotypical or any other such nonsense that usually tends to be associated with Original Characters, as I am no more a fan of such things as any other person who's seen more than his fare share of them.)**

**This concludes this Fanfic's list of general content warnings. Anyone who has anything against any of the aforementioned elements is highly advised to stop reading now, because you **_**have**_** been warned!**

* * *

_Cold… stiff… numb… was she dead? Yes… yes, she was. She had died while helping her friend, Clare. Yes… it was all so clear, now…_

**

* * *

**

All of this was near the end of the Northern Campaign, a last crusade in the Northern city of Pieta, where twenty-four of the Organization's warriors had gathered to fend off an army of monsters known as the Awakened. Jean, the Organization's Warrior Number Nine, along with four others, had split the other nineteen warriors to five groups with the strongest one in each unit was assigned as its leader. Jean was admittedly disappointed, though, that Clare was not on her team. After all, she still had a debt to repay towards the Organization's Warrior Number Forty-Seven and, supposedly, weakest fighter. Still, it wasn't Jean's call, it was Miria's.

The final battle was a disaster. The first wave wasn't so bad; only three little assholes that seemed too damn big for their own pants. Definitely not a real problem, the worst of them was the giant, spiky turtle-lizard-thing-guy. He was annoying as hell! In the end, though, Clare surprised them all, further cementing Jean's doubts about the other girl's status as a basic wimp, and the only casualty was another warrior's arm.

Who cares? It was just an arm, she could grow it back!

…

Wow… that really _did_ sound cruel and unusual, didn't it? Eh, screw it, that wasn't important. What _was_ important was now, because, _now_, they were fighting off this giant army if _big_ sons of bitches! The warriors were dropping like flies; their numbers were cut in half within ten minutes, _three_ of the leaders were killed by _one_ asshole and… wait, 'three'?

…

Oh, shit, she _was_ alive!

'_No!'_ she thought, _'I'm not dead, yet! I refuse to die like this!'_

It was Jean, and to put it lightly, she'd seen better days; bloody, broken, tired… sporting a gaping hole in her abdomen that you could clearly see objects on the other end through… yeah, she had _definitely_ seen better days. It went without saying that she was in bad shape. She could also feel Clare's Yoki surging, and not in a good way, but Jean just couldn't get up! A severed spine really _did_ tend to do that to a person, even if they're Half-Yoma…

'_I must help her!'_ Jean demanded of herself. Her hands curled into fists, but the rest of her body still remained immobile. _'I will not let my debt go unpaid!'_

Again, her will answered, and by its force, alone, she defied even nature, itself! Despite the fact that her legs were no longer internally connected, Jean was able to wobble to her feet, even if barely so, and despite their severity, her wounds had become little more than a hindrance. It _was_ a pretty damn big one, mind you, but it was still just another obstacle. As Jean shambled over to where she sensed Clare's Yoki, she thought it to be a good idea to take a head count… to see their progress.

'_Still well over thirty Awakened Beings running about, and only six warriors left, minus myself and Clare,'_ she counted. Then, she coughed up what she _swore_ was her liver… or maybe it was a kidney. She couldn't really tell. _'…that and I'm not lasting very long with this hole in my gut…'_

* * *

"Please, Helen," Clare implored, as she panicked, "I can only stop these blades for a moment! Cut of my head! You're the only one who can do it from a safe distance! I want to die as a human!"

Yes, it went without saying that things were only getting worse, from here on out. The instant that Rigaldo person popped up and basically slaughtered the team leaders, the already dreadful situation had gone downhill. When he struck Jean down, Clare basically saw red. The only thing her mind could muster throughout the entire ordeal was that he must die. Sadly, her victory had come with a price…

Now, Clare had almost awakened, as well. The Half-Yoma flesh that was implanted within her by the Organization was now corrupting the rest of her body. Basically, that meant she was now turning into what she had been killing for the past few hours: an Awakened Being. Yeah… that sucked.

Helen, Deneve, and Miria were silent. Neither of them really knew what to do. It was heartbreaking, but Helen knew that Clare was right.

"Damn it, Clare!" the short-tempered warrior yelled. She then took aim, pointing the tip of her sword at Clare's throat, and prepared to lance the other woman from afar. "I will never forgive you for making me do this!"

Then, Helen felt a firm grip on her wrist. She looked up to see who it was, and her jaw went slack. Miria and Deneve were in the same state of shock.

"Jean!" Clare cried.

Yes, it was Jean. Considering her condition, though, Helen couldn't help but wonder how the horrifically injured woman was even able to stand. Miria and Deneve were wondering how they didn't notice her hobbling by. Clare thought she was seeing things, at first. All that, and it was also a mystery as to how gravity, itself, had yet to snap Jean in half, considering the obvious lack of skeletal foundation…

Ah, yes, the laws of gravity, physics and nature… they never _did_ apply in Anime, did they?

Jean let loose a weary, mirthless chuckle as she looked up at Clare. "It would seem that our roles have reversed."

Clare's eyes went wide. She knew _exactly_ what Jean meant by that.

"N-no," Clare pleaded, as Jean approached, "Stay back! I can't control these blades!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Jean replied. She then took a moment to take in Clare's appearance.

It was very daunting, to say the least. Her legs now bent back and warped into metallic hooves, like those of a horse. Her torso was now bulky and muscular. Clare's left arm was just warped beyond recognition; now little more than a grotesque, massive claw. The blades that Clare had earlier referred to were a mass of razor-edged extensions sprouting from her shoulders and arms, similar to tentacles—each curling back similar to a scorpion's tail.

Despite Clare's warning though, Jean did not halt. Sadly, her advance was rewarded with Clare's blades biting into her flesh. Much to the shock of all involved, Jean was the only one who did not flinch. As she embraced Clare with her now only good arm, Jean spoke.

"Turn back, Clare," she said, "Synchronize your Yoki with mine. Just like last time…"

"No, Jean, please," Clare begged, "it's too late for me. Get away and focus on healing!"

"That won't work, Clare," Jean said, "I'm an Offensive-Class Warrior. The wound Rigaldo gave me is lethal. Please, Clare, let me do this. I want you to live on. Let me use my last strength to make sure you do."

At that, Clare could not say "no". It was then that a great golden light engulfed the city of Pieta, as Clare's Yoki subconsciously flared out and intertwined with Jean's. Then, as the light faded, a young woman with pale skin, silver eyes, and hay-colored hair stood above the bloody corpse of her comrade. It was Clare and her body had returned to normal, before she even realized it. Looking upon Jean's fallen form, her knees buckled. It didn't matter to her that nearly thirty Awakened Ones were still out there and running amok, or that her other comrades were dying by the masses, Clare needed time to mourn… until Deneve slapped her, that is.

'_I'm sorry, Claire,'_ were Jean's last thoughts, _'had we known each other for longer, we could've been _very_ close friends…'_

**

* * *

**

_Yes… she could remember it all so well… but, what now? What was to become of her, now that she had died? Was there something more, like a second life, beyond the grave? Was someone coming to take her to heaven? Or… did heaven even exi—_

"_Oh, there you are!"_

_Jean's eyes shot open, startled by the sudden visitor. She found herself staring at a tall blonde man who seemed to be somewhere in his twenties._

_He was wearing traditional Japanese robes that were black in color, plain straw sandals, white tabi, and a white bucket hat with green stripes. He had pale skin, and unruly blonde hair that, with his hat, shrouded his eyes in an eerie shadow, despite his playful expression. Finally, a long, white robe hung loosely upon his shoulders. Jean also noted that the man was lazily tilted upon a simple, wooden cane that even _she_ could tell wasn't required for lack of mobility._

"_I was wondering where you landed," the man said._

"'_Landed'…?" Jean quoted weakly, unsure if she heard him right._

"_Yup!" was the playful reply, "that blast of Yoki sent your soul flying a good half-mile away." The man then pulled out a small paper fan and… _fanned_ himself with it as he continued, "It was fun to watch. You're in pretty bad shape though. It's a good thing you're already dead. The impact would've ripped you apart, otherwise."_

_Jean shuddered. She just couldn't help but find this guy creepy. She didn't know why she did, though, and that was… somehow… even _creepier_! Still, it was probably best to just humor him and keep talking. He might get bored go away… eventually._

"_R-right," she said, her eyes mindlessly traveled downwards to find that her 'spiritual' body was still in the same state as it was when she died, down to having the same clothing. Basically, that meant she looked like shit. What caught her eye, though, was a large, broken chain that seemed to be bolted to her chest._

"_W-what's _this_!" Jean sputtered, giving the chain a good yank. She received a light swat on the wrist for her trouble. The strange one withdrew his pimp cane before answering._

"_Perfectly normal," he cheerfully said, "it's called your Chain of Fate, and ripping it out is the _last_ thing you want to do, trust me."_

"_Why? What do you mea—?"_

_Jean was interrupted when "Mr. Bucket Hat," as she would later call him, poked her in the forehead with the base of his cane. After that was done, everything went completely blank…_

**

* * *

**

**From the mighty DMS:**

**FINALLY! I got my first serious story posted!**

**For anyone interested, though, I'm actually writing this Fic for quite a few reasons:**

**First off, there is no other Fic of this pairing, and, out of everyone in Claymore, Jean seems to fit into this particular role the best, considering her personality. Sure there are plenty of other girls to choose from, but again, Jean just fits.**

**The second reason is that in almost every other well-written Cross-Fic I've ever read, **_**Naruto**_** is the one crossing over! Seriously, people, is the girl you intend for him really **_**that**_** hard to picture crossing! Sure, this little fact makes SnG more original, but I sincerely wish that wasn't the case, as I've only seen three exceptions, so far! THREE! Not only that, but neither of them are even listed in the Crossover Section! Good God, people, BROADEN YOUR DAMN HORIZONS AND MAKE THEM EASIER TO FIND, WHEN YOU DO! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR!**

**Finally, the last reason I have for writing this story is that Jean, in general, has seen a depressing lack of attention and major significance on this sight. That said, I'm writing a story in which she **_**is**_** important. I like her.**

**For the record, the Bleach Cross will only be minor at best. For the most part, it explains just how Jean ends up in the Narutoverse and Urahara Kisuke (Mr. Bucket Hat, for those who haven't guessed that, yet) will be the only Bleach Character with any semblance of a role, in this Fic. It will also explain a lot of other shit I have planned for the near future.**

**With all that said, I bid ye all farewell. As I clearly typed at the top of the page, this is only a Prologue, and I can assure you all that Chapter One will be longer and far more interesting. Happy Halloween!**

**(As a side note, this Chapter has been edited as of July 28, 2010.)**

**ALL FLAMES SHALL BE LAUGHED AT! I SCOFF AT YE ALL, FLAME-BOYS SCOFF, SCOFF! MWAHAHAHAHA!**


	2. Chapter One, Meating the Uzumaki Family

**Ello, people, and thank you to all that remain for waiting all this time. Your patience is very much appreciated. To anyone who has stopped reading because of the wait, I can't blame you… it was agonizing, even for me. Nine months of writers block and bad ideas have severely tested my patience on this one, but I kept on going.**

**It was quite sad, really. Every time I thought I was almost done, I looked back, hated how it turned out, and had to rewrite most of it—if not the whole thing. Even now, I find the final product to be rather choppy, and the scene where Naruto and Jean first meet is admittedly cliché, but, for now, it's the best I got. If nothing else, I will try and rewrite it again, but I need to recharge the batteries in the "I'm-not-gonna-kill-something" portion of my brain, before I do.**

**I will also warn you now, that updates will still be slow, but not this slow—I will make a distinct point to try and update at least every three-to-four months, but I can't make any promises.**

**

* * *

**

**Also, as of yet, these are the **_**confirmed**_** Side Pairings that have any real significance. If you don't like them, you have been warned.**

**Inuzuka Hana X (older) Yamanaka Ino**

**Momochi Zabuza X Senju Tsunade**

**Sarutobi Asuma X (alive) Tou'u (she's a Filler Character, so, yeah… why care?)**

**Yuuhi Kurenai X Mitarashi Anko (strictly mentioned)**

**The circumstances behind these pairings will be revealed strictly when they occur. Again, I have warned you, so if you have any problems with these pairings, I will remind you that I am not forcing you to read my shit.**

**

* * *

**

**As a final note, this Chapter has been edited, reposted, and "Beta'd" as of August 10th, 2010. Credit goes to Supreme Distraction as my Beta.**

**Thank you for your patience.**

**

* * *

**

It was in the early morning of October 15th, when this tale truly began. More specifically, it was the Fifth Anniversary Kyuubi Festival, day five—the day of recovery. In other words; it was the ten times annual Nurse Your Hangover Day. The other nine came around the end of multiple other holidays that—at this moment—were of no real importance. In fact, what day it was had no true significance, either. What _was_ important, however, was the leather-clad five-year-old that no one else seemed to notice.

…Then again, the condition of roughly half the village's population probably _did_ serve to explain how she had such an easy time slipping past the walls and guards of Konoha.

_**Her name was Jean, but… the question was… how did she get here?**_

It was hard to believe, but—somehow—Jean really _was_ alive… um… again?

_**She could've **_**sworn**_** that she had died!**_

She _did_ die… right? Well, considering the fact that half of her gut was missing… along with a lot of her blood… oh, and let's not leave out the severed spine or the part where Jean was quite _literally_ coughing up chunks of her own organs! Yeah… it probably _was_ a pretty damn safe assumption that she had died, wasn't it?

In the end, no matter how hard she thought about it, Jean just kept on adding more and more items to the list of questions that she wanted answers to. Well… at least it wasn't as bad as the moment that she woke up in this strange new world…

**

* * *

**

_At first, there was nothing… just a complete and utter void. No feeling, no emotion… just a mass of absolute emptiness…_

_Then, there was a white light and, with it, she could feel again… it was warm. Her body felt heavy and stiff… as if she'd been lying in the same spot for hours on end. Despite this, however, Jean felt calm, comforted and, most of all, at peace. Was she in Heaven?_

_Nah… it was just the late-morning sun beating at her face. With this realization and an indignant groan, Jean groggily rubbed her eyes and sat up. Wobbling to her feet with legs that felt like rubber, she made her way towards the distinctive sound of a running stream. Sure enough, the young-looking blonde found the source of the noise; a large lake with the classic waterfall flowing into it, somewhere off to the side._

_Lacking the motivation—or energy—to do much more, Jean just went down on all fours and dunked her head into the cool liquid to wake herself up, before she resurfaced to take a breath and dropped her head back down for a drink. With a content sigh, Jean shook her head and stood up, her body now awake and fully responding. Then, something caught her eye and out of reflex, she looked again and paused. The instant that Jean found herself staring at her reflection in the lake, her brain just… stopped._

_Staring right back at her was a little girl with shoulder-length, hay-colored hair, silver eyes, and no eyebrows. She was garbed in a simple, dingy-brown leather dress, well-worn leather slippers, and simple black tights. The problem was that the _child_ just happened to be _five years old_!_

_Now, Jean was a very calm and collected person. Not only was she _very_ well disciplined, but also highly wizened over the years and—to be honest—she originally looked to be less than half her true age. However, Jean was still human—by heart, even if no longer genetically so—and, as such, even _her_ composure was capable of breaking. That said, when the battled-hardened veteran warrior saw that she was no longer an adult woman, she reacted in the same professional manner that one would expect in a situation such as this…_

"_WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO ME?"_

**

* * *

**

Yes, one could say that that was _very_ professional… not that anyone could blame her of course. Finding no answers, though, despite the hour she'd spent having a humorous panic attack, Jean went with the only option that was currently available—she took another hour to calm down. Then, she moved on and hoped for the best. As it stood, that really _was_ all she could do…

As she wandered the streets of this village called Konoha, Jean decided to give into her curiosity. This world was just so different from her own! First off, there were no Yoma—a very nice bonus—the technology also seemed to be quite a bit more advanced—though not by too much—and then there was the fact that this village was quite easily twice the size of Rabona's Holy Capital. Oh, and let us not forget the language, shall we?

The silver-eyed girl didn't know _how_ she was able to speak to and understand the people here, but she did suspect that Mr. Bucket Hat was somehow behind it. However, it seemed that this new language was still not Jean's native tongue. Consequently, the speech of the now-much-younger "woman" ended up with a visible tinge that the few people she'd spoken to seemed to find odd. Apparently, a Gaelic accent wasn't very common around here. That made sense. After all, this _was_ another world, entirely, right? It wasn't like she should've expected _everyone_ in existence to speak her native tongue.

With that aside, Jean kept on moving… more than likely, she was here for a reason and she had her doubts that this "reason" was going to wait for her. That said, it was now a matter of finding the damn thing so that she could move on from there. If nothing else, Jean's current situation would most likely become less confusing, once she did. Only time would tell, however, just how much so…

**

* * *

**

To say that one Uzumaki Naruto was having a bad day was a gross understatement…

Then again, there _was_ a pretty good reason for him to hate this time of year—more specifically, it was the people of Konoha who were at fault. As it stood, he was hiding behind a tree as a large mob was on his tail and, once again, trying to kill him… yeah, big surprise. Another notable quality of the situation was that most of them were drunk… which was probably the reason that they all ran past him, not even noticing jack shit.

Wow… this really _was_ a good example of how stupid people could be in large groups, wasn't it? However, as Naruto's mother once said, "You should never underestimate the _power_ of stupid people _in_ large groups; it could easily get you killed."

One more problem with this matter, though, was that Naruto had been separated from his mother, Uzumaki Kushina. That, and as the boy's luck would have it, Lady Luck was having a bad day.

"I found you, demon!"

"Shit," Naruto yelled—despite the fact that he was only five—as he ducked under the ninjato that nearly sliced his head off. Another interesting fact about alcohol was that it would tend to make warriors—like ninja, for example—louder and much sloppier in combat… but, then again, who _didn't _know that?

Seeing that, in his stupor, the man fell flat on his ass, Naruto used this opportunity to flee. As he ran, the boy could hear the voices of the other people screaming "find the demon" and other such nonsense. The poor child never could understand why they did this; he never did anything to deserve it. There was one thing he _did_ understand, though… if he didn't get far away from them, these people would kill him.

With that in mind, he ran fast and hard, desperate to escape. The frantic blonde could hear the sounds of his pursuers converging upon him. As he silently tore through the forest, Naruto never noticed the _other_ little blonde walking towards him… until it was just a little too late.

_**SMACK!**_

Unknown to them, a pair of impish gray eyes watched in surprise and amusement as both Naruto and Jean were sent reeling back from the point of impact. Jean let out an irate groan as she shook her head and got up before the boy—much to the mild shock of their well-hidden observer. The girl then looked up with wide eyes as she sensed someone coming… someone… _bad_, for lack of a better word. Acting quickly, Jean heaved the still-disoriented boy over her shoulder—despite his rather loud protest—and leapt into the trees to hide.

A mere moment later, a good twenty-some-odd drunken villagers charged in, sloppily weaving through trees and stumbling over themselves as they did. From what Jean could see at her vantage point, they were looking for something… or rather, some_one_.

'_They look like a lynching mob,'_ Jean mused.

"What are you doing?" a voice hissed. It took a moment for Jean to realize that it came from the boy she was carrying. Setting him down, the girl answered him.

"Apparently," she deadpanned, "I'm keeping you from getting killed."

Unfortunately, Naruto didn't exactly trust this girl—whom he had just met—enough to leave it at that. "Why?"

"Why do I need a reason?" Jean asked, looking his way out of the corner of her eye.

The boy flinched; he did expect such a simple reply. Still, he was a just a kid… and, with a pout, he retorted like one, "It's rude to answer a question with a question…"

Receiving no response, Naruto continued to sulk, but he stayed quiet—something that Jean used to her advantage. Focusing on the crowd, she listened, trying to get a better understanding of the situation.

"Where's the demon?" The one who asked was the same man who tried to behead the young boy.

"I don't see it," another voice replied, this one lacking the other's drunken slur, "It must be using it evil trickery to hide from us."

'_Evil trickery, indeed,'_ Jean thought with mild sarcasm, _'people can be so ridiculous at times…'_

It was quite obvious to Jean that these people were trying to kill the boy beside her. As it was, these people seemed to think that he was somehow evil enough to justify their actions. With an exasperated sigh, the woman in the body of a girl spared the boy a curious gaze to see that he was looking back with careful eyes, as if he was looking for an excuse to flee… or the opportunity. It was hard to tell which one was the more accurate assumption.

How was this obviously innocent child seen as such a bane to these people? What could he have possibly done to deserve this treatment? Why did he have a titanic mass of Yoki in his—wait a minute…

For a brief instant that her fellow blonde failed to detect, Jean's stoic features flickered from shock to confusion, before returning to their original expression. _'How the Hell did I fail to notice _that_?'_ Jean thought.

Turning her attention back to the crowd, she listened to everything else they had left to say…

'_Whatever that energy is, it's most likely the reason these people want to kill him.'_

"We need to find it!" one man said.

"If it lives too long, it'll kill us all…" said another.

"Search everywhere!"

"Find it!"

"Hello, girlie…"

Jean nearly jumped out of her skin when the last statement was whispered into her ear, but a slender, female hand found itself on her mouth as a red-haired woman with light gray eyes told the girl to shush with a wink and a simple gesture.

_**The woman's name was Kushina… an awkward woman, true, but friendly… as long as one stayed on her good side, of course.**_

"It's okay," the redhead said, "I won't bite. Thanks for helping my son, by the way."

Jean nodded in understanding as Kushina withdrew her hand. If this woman meant any harm, she'd had plenty of time to actually _do_ it by then. With that said, Jean refocused her attention on the _real_ threat below… only to see that the crowd of people was reduced to a mass of meaty chunks set afloat in sea of blood. While the girl did turn a bit pale, that was her _only_ physical reaction—much to Kushina's surprise.

"H-how," Jean sputtered.

Kushina gave the silver-eyed blonde a leer and a mischievous grin, "that's a secret."

_**She was woman of great power—known far and wide as the Bloodbath… if that didn't say enough, little else would.**_

Jean relented, nodding in understanding as Kushina picked up the boy. Once Naruto was hefted in his mother's arms, the redheaded woman put her hand on Jean's head. The next thing the silver eyed girl knew, she was surrounded by a swirling flame and they were gone.

**

* * *

**

A single moment after they vanished, Kushina and her pair of "blonde midgets"—as she would soon come to call them—reappeared in a large office room. It had oaken floors and painted walls of red and white. A large tan sofa sat before the mahogany desk in the back. Just beyond that, standing before the large window and facing it, was an old man in red and white robes and an odd, matching hat that reminded many a person of a large serving dish.

"How many," the man asked.

"Twenty-seven," Kushina replied, referring to the casualties, "Two Jounin, five Chuunin, four Gennin, and sixteen civilians."

"Was it necessary to kill them all," the man asked, "…again?"

Kushina didn't budge. "They were trying to kill my _son_," she deadpanned. After a brief pause, the redhead continued with a shrug, "All I did was return the favor… by trying to kill _them_. It's not _my_ fault they were too incompetent to succeed."

"You do realize that all you are doing is making enemies, right?"

"Well," Kushina spat, clearly offended. This man was not about to make it sound like _she_ was the villain, here. "If you would let me leave and take Naruto-kun _with_ me then I wouldn't need to kill all these idiots to defend him! I may understand your reasons, but _you_ are the one who needs to realize that keeping him here is only doing more harm than good!"

The man sighed, having no means to argue with the volatile mother's point. "Very well," he said, "with that being the case, I can do nothing about it." Turning to face the trio of guests, he revealed his slender, aged face to them. The man was in fact, very old; seemingly in his sixties, at _least_. A white goatee spiked down from his chin, as his near-full head of bristly, snow-colored hair was mostly covered by his hat.

_**The man was Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato. In other words, he was the village leader… more or less.**_

Noticing that Kushina had brought with her one extra blonde, the Hokage decided to change the subject. "So," the old man said, "who's the girl?"

Kushina stared at him blankly, not knowing what the Hell he was talking about, until she turned towards Jean. "Oh," the woman said loudly, immediately reminded of the girl's existence, "I forgot about you…"

Jean just stared, unsure of whether she should be shocked or offended…

Kushina then turned back to the Hokage and decided to get the introductions out of the way. Gesturing towards the silver-eyed blonde, she spoke, "this is…" Kushina paused, turned back to the girl and asked, "What's your name, again?"

Naruto couldn't help himself. He just burst out laughing at his mother's absentmindedness; thankfully, no one mentioned that it was a trait she had passed down to _him_.

Jean continued to stare, her mind still trying to register what the Hell was going on, until the question finally got through to her. Getting over her hesitation, the girl answered, "My name is Jean."

"Okay, then," Kushina chirped, "this is Jean-chan. She ran into… uh, never mind, it was the other way around…" Folding her arms and leaning on one leg, Kushina stared off into space to rearrange her thoughts.

'_How someone _this_ forgetful became a legend, I may never know,'_ Hiruzen thought, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Now, I remember," Kushina said a little too noisily… and scaring the holy Hell out of everyone there, "I was separated from Naruto-kun by the two Jounin as the rest of the mob chased after the poor boy." After getting tired of staying in the same place for too long, the redheaded woman wandered about with no real destination—or direction—in mind. What surprised one particular person in the room was the cane Kushina used to support herself.

Only then, did Jean notice it. The tool in question was mostly black in color and seemed to be primarily made of iron. Near the rubber tip at the bottom was a layer of thick, ridged iron plating that one would expect to see on the end of a club. Also, at the top of the cane was a… supposedly "decorative" brass skull. All in all, it looked more like a bludgeoning weapon than a walking stick. The blonde girl would soon discover just how accurate that assumption was… and that she was only half-right. But, that would happen later.

The most disturbing part, however, was the _blatantly_ obvious limp in the woman's stride.

'_Twenty-seven people were butchered in seconds by a _cripple_?'_ Jean thought, _'I've probably seen worse, I'll admit, but I still never thought I'd see _that_!'_

"Naruto-kun, being the quick little bugger he is, ran off into the woods to try and shake them off," the redhead continued, "using his smaller size to his advantage, he headed for the thick woods of Hai no Mori. This slowed them down significantly, especially since most of them just happened to be well-passed inebriation. Due to my obvious issue with mobility, I took at least ten full minutes to catch up, which, to remind you, is like an eternity on the battlefield." Kushina took a moment to glare at the Hokage, her withering gaze making it obvious that she blamed him for the lack of help. "As I did, I noticed _exactly_ where he was headed and covered the rest of the distance through use of Shunshin no Jutsu. When I arrived, I saw Naruto-kun run right into Jean-chan, here… literally. It was kinda funny."

Naruto had the decency to look sheepish at that remark, scratching the back of his head as he gave a large, toothy grin.

Jean, however, couldn't help but blush lightly in embarrassment. As Kushina continued, though, it was with the woman's next comments that the silver-eyed girl knew she had a few upcoming questions to answer to.

"Ironically, Jean-chan was the first one to recover from when she and Naruto-kun butted heads with each other. She was also somehow able to detect the threat of the upcoming mob. After that, and displaying incredible strength for her size and age, the little midget heaved Naruto-kun over her shoulder, and jumped into the trees for cover."

The already-short girl only seemed to shrink under the gazes of Hiruzen and Kushina. Yeah, Jean had a lot of explaining to do…

Turning back to the "old monkey" named Hiruzen, Kushina finished her vocal report. "Through use of Chi Bunshin no Jutsu, I _dispatched_ the rest of the individuals responsible for the assault upon my child as I took a closer look at Naruto-kun's little savior. Once I was happy with that, I brought her here with me."

Upon those last comments, Hiruzen sighed in resignation. There was just no stopping this woman when it came to protecting Naruto, and to be honest, only a fool would want to… especially when one considered the nigh-indecipherable malicious undertone in Kushina's rather happily-spoken use of the word "dispatch" that clearly screamed "I did it, I don't care, and I'd cheerfully do it again."

'_I'm too old for this shit,'_ the Hokage inwardly complained. "So," the man said, regaining the attention of the people there, "what do you plan to do with the poor girl?"

Kushina blinked. "What girl?"

Hiruzen palmed himself in the face and pointed at Jean.

Turning her head and blinking again, Kushina remembered… again. "Oh," she said, "_that_ girl… what's your name, again?"

Hiruzen just stared, Naruto fell down as he choked on his own laughter, and Jean… pushed back the sudden urge to cry.

'_I feel so insignificant,'_ the blonde girl thought.

"Oh, wait," Kushina said, "now I remember… it's Jean, right?"

Jean nodded.

"Okay then," the redhead chirped, "so, what's your story?"

Jean paused, "I'm not so sure you'd believe me if I told you…"

Now, Kushina was interested. The hesitation and evasive answer were far from expected… as was the redhead's rather cheerfully-worded reply: "Okie-dokie."

Jean just stared as Hiruzen tossed in his own two cents. "What the Hell?"

Kushina then turned her attention back to the old monkey. "What the Hell kinda brat her age answers a question like that?"

Hiruzen paused. "Good point…"

"…It's been said that fact is stranger than fiction," Kushina said in an odd moment of sagely wisdom, "I'll find out what she hides in that midget head of hers, eventually. I'll let you know when I do."

The Hokage didn't question her… after all, everyone usually had their moments in which they showed themselves to be smarter than half a village—combined. It was just that Kushina's "moments" had an odd tendency to occur far more often when half the village was drunk, at the time…

"Very well," Hiruzen said. "I assume that you have nothing further to report?"

The redhead's answer was a simple, "nope!"

"Then, you are dismissed."

With a satisfied nod, Kushina hobbled back to Naruto and Jean and picked them up in a clumsy fashion, flickering out of the room soon after. Some amount of time later, the Hokage found himself staring at the door, an odd thought coming to mind.

'_Sure, _she_ has an excuse,'_ Hiruzen mused, _'but why do I feel like the only one in this village that actually uses that?'_

Receiving no answer to his silent question, the old man sighed and returned to his desk. Once he sat down in his extra-cushy rolling chair and scooted himself in place, the Hokage decided to procrastinate for a short while. Ignoring the ten towering stacks on unsigned papers and documents standing right next to him, Sarutobi Hiruzen caressed the polished redwood of his desk with one thought in mind…

'_Mahogany…'_

**

* * *

**

If Jean hadn't been confused before, she was now…

She had been left to herself, as Kushina fussed over Naruto, so the blonde girl decided to take the opportunity to think. Everything was happening so quickly, it was hard to keep up. Wasn't death supposed to be some kind of finality? Sure, she'd heard tale of some alleged "afterlife", but Jean was pretty sure that _this_ was not what the bishop was preaching about…

Letting out an exasperated sigh and derailing her train of thought with a light shake of the head, Jean found herself going over the events of the last… twenty minutes…? It was hard to tell…

First, she had ended up wandering back into the forest (apparently named Hai no Mori); she didn't know why she was there, but, for some reason, she felt as if something was beckoning for her to head in that general direction. Curious as to why she felt that way, she had followed the sensation only to find herself knocked on her ass. Upon seeing the boy, Jean had just reacted to a sudden sense of dread; hopping into the trees with Naruto slung over her shoulder like a sack of wheat. Then she met the boy's mother, found herself magically surrounded by a pillar of fire and the next thing Jean knew, the forgetful redhead was speaking with the village leader about the whole incident.

Come to think of it, how did Jean know that the old man was the leader of the village and not just an elder or some other high-ranking official?

Bah, that was beside the point…

Turning her attention back to her newest surroundings, after clearing her thoughts… _again_, Jean noticed that they had reappeared in what seemed to be a military-issue safe house. The small, dimly-lit chamber was composed of a kitchen off to the left, a hallway to the right, and the den that the trio currently stood in. The walls and countertops were all made of grey stone; the shiny metal appliances were a mystery to Jean, not because she didn't know what they were—quite the opposite, really… hence the double-negative. No, the girl was confused _because_ she knew and didn't know _how_ she knew.

As for the den, it had a rust-colored throw rug under a redwood coffee table that was surrounded by a dark grey sofa and a pair of matching recliners. On the table sat a few books, seemingly meant for anyone interested in taking a seat to read. Finally, in the wall was a large, red brick fireplace that appeared as though it hadn't been used for quite some time.

"Sorry if you feel a bit rushed," Kushina suddenly spoke up, "but when you live the life I do, one tends to make hasty decisions pretty commonly or nothing gets done before the lives one finds precious end up in danger." After a brief pause, she spoke again, "…that, and I never really was well-known for my patience."

"I suppose it makes sense," Jean relented. "So, what now?"

"Well," Kushina said, "the first thing I need is to know exactly what I'm dealing with, here."

"Right where do you want me to…?" Jean trailed off as she found Kushina's hand placed on her head with an audible flop.

"I prefer this method, if you don't mind," the redhead explained, interrupting the girl a second time. "Instead of just sitting here and listening to you explain your life's story, I'd much rather just see it for myself; it's much quicker. Just relax, okay?" With that said, Kushina closed her eyes.

Sure, Jean _wanted_ to protest, but she could somehow tell that it was already too late for that…

**

* * *

**

It was a cold, dark night in a village made of stone. Frozen in time upon the hour of midnight, the blanket of pristine white that covered the small town and the snowy peaks to the east and west seemed to glow in the light of the ever-full moon. With neither stars nor clouds, the milky orb gave off an unnatural, ghostly sheen that should've been impossible. However, only one person alive could ever dictate what was and was not possible in this world, and she didn't yet know of its existence… though that was unimportant, at the moment.

In the town square, the very heart of the otherwise-abandoned metropolis—where something else _probably_ should have been—was a small campfire. Though minute it may have been, its power utterly belied its size. A mighty, undying blaze, it was, burning strong and proud. It was as if the little campfire would live on forever.

Sitting on one of the three logs surrounding the flame was the village's only current resident—a pale woman with lively silver eyes and wavy platinum hair. The near-white locks were well kept, but left wild and free as the wind, itself.

_**Her name was Flora. Once, she was a dear friend of Jean's. Formerly the Organization's Warrior Number Eight, Flora had earned the name "Windcutter" in having one of the "swiftest blades" in history.**_

In life, Flora—like Jean—had worn only a standard uniform that consisted of a two-piece, skintight cloth bodysuit and iron spaulders with two slots in the back for the standard-issue swords they wielded—the second slot was applied in case the wearer was left-handed, as the women were more specifically given two-handed swords to use. Aside from the shoulder pieces was a leather choker that bore their personal crests, a pair of vambraces, a pair of iron grieves, an iron fauld skirt, a cloth cape that served no purpose, whatsoever, and absolutely _nothing_ to protect anything of real importance… aside from modesty, perhaps.

In death, however, Flora became something more… and wore something far less flashy. To be more accurate, she was garbed in a simple, white kimono with black haiku-style floral designs—as per her namesake—and a black inner robe. The thick pieces of cloth were kept in place with a plane black obi and her feet were left bare, despite the snow—which didn't seem to bother her. Since the woman in question was completely covered from the collarbone to her wrists and ankles, it was impossible to tell what else she may—or may not—have been wearing.

Flora stared into the burning embers of the campfire; sometimes using the twig in her hand to poke at one of the logs and kindle the flames—not that she needed to… the action was mostly out of habit. Sensing the visitor that she had been expecting for some time now, the platinum blonde looked over to her left, just as a redhead garbed in robes of black and red faded into existence.

Kushina looked around, her curiosity made obvious with her expression. _'Well,'_ she thought, _'that was weird… I just wanted to read her memories, so how did I end up in her mindscape?'_

"I called you here," Flora clarified, making the redhead jump; it was as if she had read the other woman's mind. "You won't find Jean's reason for being brought back to life in her memories. That said, I figured that I'd tell you, myself."

"What do you mean 'brought back to life'?" Now, Kushina was curious. Was this woman implying that Jean was dead at some point and time? If so, what was the girl doing among the living?

"It's just as I said," Flora answered, "as far as I was aware, there weren't very many things I _could_ have meant by it, were there?" As demeaning as that comment could've been, it was somehow made clear by the gentle tone that it wasn't meant to be. "Young Jean-chan was actually killed in battle. She was a warrior of sorts in her past life and is far older, mentally speaking, than she seems."

"That actually makes sense…" Kushina trailed off, thinking about the oddities that she had noticed in the blonde girl's behavior. "When she lifted Naruto over her shoulders and leapt into hiding, she seemed far too strong for her size. Her movements were also very well-polished, as if she had received some sort of military training. Furthermore, she was far too observant for her age… I found it strange."

"…Which was why you were probing around her memories," Flora added in a deadpan, "you wanted an explanation."

Kushina merely shrugged at the light barb in the blonde woman's tone: as far as she cared, the invasion of privacy was justified.

"Ah well," Flora sighed. "Either way, it is necessary for you to see how Jean's life played out. If nothing else, it will allow you to understand her better. We'll get back to that later, though… you still need to know why Jean is here, after all."

As Flora spoke, Kushina got the feeling this would take a while, so she hobbled over to one of the logs surrounding the campfire. Once she was comfortable, the redhead then gestured for the other woman to continue.

"Very well, then," Flora said. Her next words would quickly catch the red-haired mother's undivided attention. "Let's begin with your son, shall we? After all, it wasn't by accident that he and Jean crossed paths… though, the headbutt was far from intentional."

At that last statement, Kushina snickered, but she continued to listen.

"As you know," the platinum-haired woman continued, "Naruto is the vessel of Kyuubi no Yoko, the ninth and most powerful of the Bijuu." Kushina tensed a small bit at the fact that someone she'd just met knew that, but Flora continued, despite the reaction. "I'm well aware that this information is supposed to be a well-kept secret, but one being that you can't keep quiet about it is the one that helped your late husband apply the seal, in the first place."

When that was said, the implication that was made was one that scared even the legendary Kunoichi that had become the Bloodbath. "The God of Death," Kushina muttered.

Flora nodded. "He sent one of his best minions to collect a worthy soul for the task of protecting Naruto. The boy is one that will change the world, someday. Be it for better or worse depends on not just him, but the outcomes of many things that he will eventually experience. Jean's purpose is to protect him and to help him along the way."

"Out of curiosity, why her?"

"Of all the people considered," the blonde explained, "Jean was the most suited for the role. In truth, it was mostly due to her personality." As a response to the redhead's raised eyebrow, Flora continued. "Look around; the mindscape of every person is unique, but they all share the same symbolic traits. The stone walls represent fortitude, a strong will and bull-headed stubbornness. The snow represents purity, due to its spotlessness."

"The dark sky symbolizes loneliness," Kushina pointed out, "the chill in the air depicts a lingering fear."

"It would be more accurate to call it a traumatic experience," Flora corrected, "and the fire represents hope, the will to move on and the drive to make everything work out, in the end."

Kushina couldn't help but give a smile at that. "In other words, she's a woman with a good head on her shoulders. Despite whatever trauma she may have suffered, she keeps moving on and retains her sanity."

"Pretty much," the blonde replied. "She also shares your sense of honor." Standing up, Flora turned to Kushina. "Come," she said, "there is a chamber that you will need to enter, if you wish to see Jean's memories, as you had originally intended. I'll guide you there."

For a moment, Kushina just sat there and blinked owlishly, until the way she got there popped back into her head. With a sigh, she stood back up and followed the other woman off to what looked like the town hall.

"In here," Flora began as she approached the main entrance to the office building, "lays the very first of Jean's memories, dating all the way back to her infancy. Once you enter, though, you won't be able to stop the visions until the end of the final memory, itself. I'm warning you because of the nature of her darker ones." Upon seeing the other woman's nod, she continued, "by the end of this you will know not just her past, but you will also know _what_ Jean is. Don't betray my trust."

Just as Kushina was about to ask what the blonde meant by that, Flora opened the door causing a vortex of psychic energy to envelop the redhead and suck her in. Once Flora let go of the handle, the vacuum wave caused by the small tornado closed the door for her with a resounding slam.

Satisfied with her handiwork, the still-technically-dead woman returned to her log by the fire. It would still be some time before she could reveal herself to Jean, but Flora had no doubt that her former colleague would do just fine, until then.

**

* * *

**

A moment later, back in the outer world, Kushina blinked and removed her hand from Jean's head. Mulling over the well over _sixty_ years that the little girl has apparently lived, the redhead chuckled. _'So, she's basically an artificial half-demon, eh?'_ That made a lot more sense than it probably should have, but that was most-likely because of how many different things it explained. _'No wonder that Flora girl was so leery about revealing that; a demon vessel's one thing, Jean's situation is another.'_

At first, even Kushina would admit that she was a bit more wary about the "blonde midget", considering her previous relationship with the Kyuubi, but as the memories played on; there was one that had completely quashed her doubts…

**

* * *

**

_In a large, dimly-lit chamber, Jean dangled above the ground. Her wrists caught in twin masses of twisted metal—serving as make-shift shackles—and her torso monstrously impaled by multiple studded poles, the deceptively-young-looking woman let her head hang in defeat, as she waited for her body to succumb to her wounds and shut down. To her, that particular option was far more appealing to the only alternative._

"_I don't understand," said a girl with choppy locks of brown hair. She was garbed in only a pink sundress, which most guys would find appealing, had she not the body of a mere _ten_-year-old. Despite her appearance, though, the girl was actually among the eldest and most powerful of her kind—Riful of the West, former Number One of the Organization's first generation of female Warriors. "Why do you fight so hard against your own Awakening?"_

_Jean stayed silent._

_Seeing that her latest victim wasn't about to speak, Riful continued. "Are you trying to retain your humanity, perhaps?" The demon-girl cocked her head in curiosity. "Where's the point in that? It's not like I was ever able to take what you never had, after all."_

_Jean lifted her head and glared at the brunette—obviously losing her patience, due to the severity of her position—but she kept quiet._

_Riful, however, was by no means concerned with the barb in the platinum blonde's gaze. It wasn't like she had any reason to be, anyways. "You do realize what you are, right? You are a mere tool to be used as your superiors see fit. Nobody sees you as a human, because you are half-Yoma. They don't see you for who you are; they see you for _what_ you are—no human would be treated like that."_

"_You're right about one thing," Jean admitted, her voice low and laced with fatigue. "I'm not what most would call 'human'… not anymore… but, you forgot about one detail."_

_Riful raised an eyebrow, waiting for the dying woman to continue._

"_I was _born_ human," Jean said. "Even if I don't die with a human body, I fully intend to die with a human heart. To me, that's all that matters."_

_With an amused chuckle, Riful shook her head. "'A human heart', is it? I suppose that makes sense… in its own way."_

**

* * *

**

'_Yup,'_ Kushina thought, _'I'm definitely happy with this one. She's got a _real_ good head on her shoulders. We'll see what I can do with her.'_ With a sigh, the redhead then spoke up,

"Alrighty, then: starting tomorrow, you'll be training with Naruto. We will start with basic conditioning and meditation. Even considering your 'unique' situation, I want to see if it's possible for you to awaken your Chakra System, like Naruto has. We will also do Kenjutsu and flexibility training on the side. If you could recreate that 'spinning sword' technique of yours with a shorter set-up time, it would prove to be very useful, in the long run.

Jean nodded slowly. While she didn't know what a Chakra System was, she knew that it would be clarified, later on.

"Good," Kushina smiled approvingly at the girl's cooperation. "For now, we'll stay here and wait for this mob fiasco to blow over."

Naruto whined; he was bored, now. "But Mom…"

Kushina's response was to lightly whack the boy upside the head with her cane. "NO BUTS! You have plenty to do here and you have company to boot. Now, sit your ass on the couch and get to know her! It'll kill time until I'm done with dinner."

Upon seeing Kushina lash out like that, Jean decided not to question the woman… it seemed to be a much healthier choice just to listen. As Naruto scurried to the sofa and Kushina went off to the kitchen with a satisfied nod, Jean decided to sit next to the intimidated boy.

"Your mother is a scary person," Jean whispered.

"Only when you make her mad," Naruto replied.

"I HEARD THAT!"

Both kids flinched at the sudden shout, but Jean continued to speak… against her better judgment, "I'll keep that in mind." When she felt the relieving lack if impending doom, the silver-eyed girl kept on talking, "Well, she did say that we should get to know each other. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

After a moment of thought, Naruto asked, "Where did you come from? Do your mom and dad know where you are?"

"I don't know…"

Naruto blinked. "How do you not know?"

"Well, first off, I have no idea how I ended up here… I just woke up in a random clearing and wandered into you. Also, my parents have been dead for quite some time, now."

"Oh…" the boy said, dropping his head down. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," Jean replied. Upon seeing her fellow blonde's look, she continued with a shrug, "You didn't know. There's no need to apologize…"

After a moment of silence, Naruto spoke again. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I'm not sure, yet…" Jean admitted, "What about you?"

"I wanna join the Ninja Academe and learn to be the next Hokage!" Naruto's declaration was emphasized with a fist in the air and a grin on his face.

For some reason, those words just clicked. "'Join the 'Ninja Academe', eh?" Jean mused, "well, then, I suppose I'll follow your lead. It sounds fun… if nothing else."

**

* * *

**

In the kitchen, Kushina looked up from the salt ramen that she was cooking and smiled. _'I have a good feeling about those two…'_

**

* * *

**

**From the mighty DMS:**

**Well, that about sums it up. Constructive criticism is welcome, but Flames will still be laughed at. I do hope that it turned out well, though.**

**Until next time, I'm outta here.**

**

* * *

**

**Ninja Arts:**

**1.) Chi Bunshin no Jutsu**

**Translation—Art of the Blood Clone**

**Classification—Ninjutsu, Personal Hijutsu**

**Rank—A-Class**

**Summary—A technique in which the caster creates a physical clone from her blood. The clone is capable of sentient thought, but is strictly meant for combat. That said, the memories of the clone do not return to the caster upon its death.**

**Special Notes—This technique was created by one Uzumaki Kushina and is noted to be among the reasons behind her nickname, "The Bloodbath". It is also noted that only Kushina can use this technique, due to her abnormal Chakra.**

**2.) Shunshin no Jutsu**

**Translation—Art of the Body Flicker**

**Classification—Ninjutsu**

**Rank—A-Class**

**Summary—A technique in which the caster spikes his or her chakra to create a minor warp in time and space. This allows the caster to teleport to any nearby location that he or she is familiar with.**

**Special Notes—This technique is a general skill among Jounin and mastering it may be a requirement in order to attain the rank, though this speculation has never been confirmed.**

**3.) The Unnamed Mind-Reading Technique**

**Translation—Not Available**

**Classification—Ninjutsu, Apparent Hijutsu**

**Rank—Currently Unknown**

**Summary—A technique in which the caster channels his or her Chakra into the mind of the target or targets in order to read their memories.**

**Special Notes—This technique was used by Pein in the Anime and Manga series of Naruto and claimed to be "similar" to another technique in Yamanaka Inoichi's arsenal. To this day, neither technique was ever named by Masashi Kishimoto. It can also be noted that Goku from Dragon Ball Z—by Mangaka (Manga Artist) Akira Toriyama—has also displayed his own ability to use another similar technique, though he only did so once in the entire series. This technique was also never named.**

**(GOOD GOD, I FEEL LIKE SUCH A GEEK!)**

* * *

**List of Other Translations:**

**Bijuu—Tailed Beast(s)**

**Hai no Mori—The Forest of Ashes**

**Hijutsu—Secret Art**

**Kenjutsu—Arts of the Sword**

**Konohagakure no Sato—The Village Hidden Within the Leaves**

**Kunoichi—A Female Ninja **

**Kyuubi no Yoko/Kyuubi no Youko—The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox**

**Ninjutsu—Arts of the Ninja (typically used in reference towards techniques that just don't fit in another category)**

**Sandaime Hokage—Third Lord Fire Shadow**

**Yoki/Youki—Demonic Energy/Demonic Power (the first kanji, which reads "yo/you" means demonic, while the "ki" is the Japanese word for chi, the spiritual energy of the universe.)**


	3. Warning!

I regret to inform my readers that _**Silver and Gold **_and _**Twisted Bonds**_ will receive no updates on this site, due to the news we've all received about the removal of all Fics that have lemons and extreme violence. What pisses me off the most, though, is that they are doing this because the owners of Fanfiction . net don't support Fics that fall under MA, as of ten… years… ago… AND THEY'RE TELLING US THIS SHIT _NOW_?

Then again, this wouldn't piss me off so much if the quality of Adult Fanfiction . net wasn't so fucking pathetic in comparison. They don't even have a decent filter system! Do they even _have _a Beta Reader service?

Needless to say, I'm more than a little bitter…

Fortunately, I've had a profile on that site under the same name, so I guess that now's as good a time as any to dust it off, eh? See ya there!


End file.
